A nuclear energy working group convened by the Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) and tasked with investigating the feasibility of bringing nuclear to the state recently released a report that concluded that—for now—nuclear is not right for Hawaii.

The bill: The HSEO was ordered to convene a nuclear energy working group by state Senate Concurrent Resolution 136, which was passed during last year’s legislative session. The task force was specifically charged with investigating the feasibility of advanced nuclear power technologies in the state, along with identifying barriers to and risks associated with deploying those technologies. Those benefits and risks were far reaching in scope, including regulatory, statutory, financial, social, and environmental factors.

New legislation being considered could make Hawaii the 29th state to produce nuclear power—although the proposal faces an uphill battle.

Two bills introduced in the state legislature would pave the way for nuclear power production in Hawaii:

• H.B. 1741 proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow for construction of a nuclear power plant without prior legislative approval.
• H.B. 1516 would establish a nuclear energy commission within the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to study potential benefits of nuclear energy.

Jacob Wiencek, a self-described concerned resident of Honolulu, is doing his part to encourage the state of Hawaii to embrace nuclear power. An opinion piece written by Wiencek was published in Honolulu Civil Beat, an online, nonprofit news site, on August 4.